## Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bamidbar

###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bamidbar 7:1
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bamidbar 7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Bamidbar/r/7:1)

ד"א וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני. ששה שמות נקראו לו, הר אלהים, הר בשן, הר גבנונים, הר חמד, הר חורב, הר סיני, הר אלהים, שישב בו האלהים בדין, שנאמר ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם (שמות כא א), הר בשן, הר שבא שם הקב"ה, הר גבנונים, הר שפסל שם כל ההרים, מנין כשם שאת אומר או גבן או דק (ויקרא כא כ), הר חמדה, שבו חמד הקב"ה לישב, שנאמר ההר חמד אלהים לשבתו (תהלים סח יז), הר חורב, שעליו נשמטה החרב, שנאמר מות יומת הנואף והנואפת (ויקרא כ י), מות יומת הרוצח (במדבר לה טז), הר סיני, שבו נשתנאו אומות העולם להקב"ה, ונתן להם איפופסין, שנאמר והגוים חרוב יחרבו (ישעיה ס יב). אמר ר' אבא בר כהנא בשם ר' יוחנן והגוים מחורב יחרבו, שנטלו איפופסין שם.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
Another interpretation (of Numb. 1:1): THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES IN THE SINAI DESERT. Sinai was called by six names: Mountain of God (as in Ps. 68:16 [15]), Mount Bashan (ibid.), mountain of peaks (ibid.), mountain of desire (*HMD*), Mount Horeb (Exod. 3:1; 33:6; etc.), Mount Sinai.⁴⁴., Numb. 1:7; Numb. R. 1:8. The mountain of God is so called because on it God sat in judgment, as stated (in Exod. 21:1): NOW THESE ARE THE JUDGMENTS⁴⁵ In the biblical context the word would more normally be translated ORDINANCES. WHICH YOU SHALL SET BEFORE THEM. Mount Bashan is the mountain where (*sham*) Holy One came (*ba*').⁴⁶ and *ba*’ appear in the opposite order and next to each other as *ba’ sham.* The mountain of peaks (*gavenunnim,* rt.: *GBN*) is the mountain where he carved out and rejected⁴⁷. The word can mean both “carved” and “rejected.” In carving a statue one rejects what is chipped away. The statue itself, like Israel, is what remains. all the other mountains.⁴⁸ Where is it shown? It is just as you say (in Lev. 21:20): OR A HUNCHBACK (*GBN*) OR A DWARF.⁴⁹ The mountain of desire (rt.: *HMD*) is so called, because on it the Holy One desired (*HMD*) to dwell, as stated (in Ps. 68:17 [16]): THE MOUNTAIN GOD DESIRED FOR HIS DWELLING. Mount Horeb (rt.: *HRB*) is so called, because upon it the sword (rt.: *HRB*) of judgment was unsheathed, as stated (in Lev. 20:10): THE ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH, and (in Numb. 35:16): THE MURDERER SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Mount Sinai is so called, because on it the peoples of the world became hateful (rt.: *SN*') to the Holy One, and he rendered a verdict⁵⁰ against them, as stated (in Is. 60:12): AND THE GENTILES SHALL BE UTTERLY (*HRB*) DESTROYED (rt.: *HRB*). R. Abba bar Kahana said in the name of R. Johanan: AND THE GENTILES SHALL BE UTTERLY⁵¹ to *mehurav.* This change also appears in the parallel text of *ySot.* 7:5 (21d), but not in the traditional parallel texts of *Tanh*., Numb. 1:7, and Numb. R. 1:8. DESTROYED. It was where they received a verdict.

footnotes:
⁴⁴ Tanh
⁴⁵ Mishpatim.
⁴⁶ In the Hebrew text sham
⁴⁷ Pasal
⁴⁸ See Gen. R. 109:1, which depicts the mountains contending with each other to host the revelation of the Torah and generally expands what follows.
⁴⁹ The context is a list of those rejected from serving in the priesthood. The implication here is that, unlike Sinai where the ordinances for priesthood where given, the other mountains were hunchbacks or dwarfs and therefore rejected.
⁵⁰ Gk.: apophasis.
⁵¹ In this repetition of Is. 60:12 the Buber text alters the word translated UTTERLY from harov